George Kooymans, guitarist and co-founder of the legendary Dutch rock band Golden Earring, has died at the age of 77. His family said on Tuesday that he died from the effects of ALS, the muscle-wasting disease he was diagnosed with in 2020.

“We say goodbye to a great musician and composer whose work reached far beyond Golden Earring. George was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, but above all, a friend,” the family said in a statement.

Golden Earring’s drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk told the AD he is taking time to reflect. “What we want now is silence and to think back on everything he did,” he told the media. “I played with him for 50 years, and it was the best time of my life.”

Golden Earring, formed in The Hague in 1961 by Kooymans and bassist Rinus Gerritsen, became the Netherlands’ most successful rock band. With hits like Radar Love (1973) and Twilight Zone (1982)—the latter written by Kooymans and reaching the US Top 10—the band achieved global fame.

They never replaced Kooymans when he retired due to his illness in February 2021, stating: “We are a group of friends of four men who are irreplaceable. A new band member? That wouldn’t fit.”

Their final concert took place on 16 November 2019 in Ahoy, Rotterdam, and they officially disbanded after Kooymans’ ALS diagnosis was made public on 5 February 2021.

Kooymans also co-founded Dutch supergroup Vreemde Kostgangers with Boudewijn de Groot and Henny Vrienten, and, with Barry Hay, helped launch Anouk’s breakthrough by playing on her 1997 hit Together Alone.

On 30 January 2026, the remaining members of Golden Earring plan to hold a farewell concert at Ahoy with guest musicians to honour Kooymans and raise funds for ALS research.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a rare progressive disease that weakens muscles and eventually affects breathing. Around 1,500 people in the Netherlands have it.